A new friend

'Like fucking Hell.'

Ash exhaled sharply, rolling his shoulders as he stared at the unmoving rock in front of him.

He knew he had felt something before—just moments ago, that raw pulse of power surging through him.

The way it had burst out, slightly moving the rock or so he thought. His heart had been racing with exhilaration then, but now… now it was just silence.

Nothing.

He clenched his fists.

Maybe he wasn't focusing enough.

He tried again, closing his eyes, forcing himself to reach for whatever energy had surfaced before.

He concentrated on his fingers, willed something—anything—to respond. He pictured the way it had felt: the tingling in his skin, the electric charge beneath the surface.

Still, nothing.

His frustration grew with each failed attempt. He took a deep breath, shifting his focus to his mind this time. If his hands weren't responding, perhaps the energy came from within.

He cleared his thoughts, concentrating solely on that hidden force. His heartbeat slowed. The world around him faded away.

And yet—

Nothing.

Ash's jaw tightened. It wasn't fair. He had done it once, so why couldn't he do it again? It should have been easier the second time, not harder.

The doubt crept in quickly.

What if it had been a fluke? What if he wasn't actually capable of controlling whatever power he had touched?

No.

He refused to believe that.

Gritting his teeth, he clenched his fists and pushed all his frustration into one desperate attempt—

And suddenly, something snapped inside him.

A sharp, uncontrollable burst of force erupted from his hands, colliding with the rock in front of him. The stone shattered into jagged fragments, scattering in all directions.

Ash stumbled back, breath caught in his throat. The sheer force of it had been much greater than before—too wild, too uncontrolled. His fingertips tingled, still humming with the aftershock.

He barely had time to process what had happened before a realization hit him—

The noise.

The rubble had made a sound loud enough to wake someone up.

Ash stood frozen, waiting, listening.

For a few moments, there was nothing. No movement from the cottage.

'Maybe Aria hadn't—'

Then he heard it.

Footsteps.

They were slow, dragging slightly—sleep-heavy steps.

Aria.

She emerged from the cottage, wrapped in a thick woolen cloak, her hair still messy from sleep. She rubbed her eyes and squinted in his direction.

"Ash…?" Her voice was heavy with exhaustion, slurred at the edges. "What're you doing…?"

Ash hesitated. "Uh, I'm training..."

She yawned, swaying slightly before catching herself. "Did you… just break something?"

He glanced at the shattered rock, then back at her. "Yeah. I think so."

Aria blinked at him, still fighting off sleep. Then she muttered, "That's... new… an improvement."

Ash nearly laughed.

She was barely awake.

"I was trying to do it again, but I can't," he admitted, frustration creeping back into his voice.

Aria rubbed her face, her fingers pressing into her temples. "You need to stop forcing it."

She yawned again. "Magic isn't just… about willpower. It's more like…" She trailed off, clearly struggling to put her thoughts together in her half-asleep state.

Ash waited.

She gave up with a sigh. "Too tired. I'll explain later. Tomorrow, library. You'll learn things instead of just… doing things or going for some ceremony."

He raised an eyebrow. "You mean instead of staying with your sisters?"

Aria nodded, already turning back toward the house. "Yeah. Knowledge is better. Go sleep. It's dark. Might attract beasts."

She disappeared inside without another word.

Ash let out a small breath, his frustration easing. If nothing else, at least tomorrow would offer answers.

--

The Next Morning

The morning air was cool and crisp, the first light of dawn filtering through the trees. Inside the cottage, warmth still clung to the space near the fireplace.

After preparing breakfast, Aria woke Ash with a gentle tap. Once they had eaten, they headed to the pond for their routine bath.

She innocently gave him another blowjob and he came in her mouth before they finally took their bath.

When they finally stepped out, dressed and ready to go to the library, the world outside was fully awake.

---

The library stood tall at the heart of the village—a grand structure of intertwining branches and stone, its architecture a seamless blend of nature and craftsmanship.

Towering shelves curved along the walls, reaching upward like the very trees they had been shaped from. Soft, golden light filtered through enchanted lanterns, casting a warm glow over the ancient tomes.

The scent of aged parchment and dried herbs filled the air.

Ash turned in slow circles, taking it all in. It was breathtaking in a quiet, reverent way.

The librarian, an elderly elf with silver-threaded hair, greeted them with a sharp gaze. "Rules," she said, wasting no time.

Ash blinked.

"You may borrow books. Limited number. Some require special permission. No damaging the texts. No taking them beyond the village borders. And no reckless magic near them."

She glanced at Aria. "This one is yours?"

Aria hummed noncommittally. "For now."

The librarian sighed. "Very well. Registration, then you may begin."

The process was simple enough—just a record of name and purpose. Soon, Aria handed him over to the rows of shelves.

"Find something useful," she said. "I have to go."

He nodded, watching as she left.

The silence of the library wrapped around him.

He wandered through the aisles, fingers brushing against the spines of books. Titles in Elvish, some he could barely read, others that intrigued him.

He reached for one titled: The song of the elements.

And collided into someone.

A sharp gasp.

Books tumbled from the elf's hands.

Ash stumbled back. "Sorry—"

The elf looked up, eyes sharp and narrowed.

"You should watch where you're going," she said, irritation clear.

Ash hesitated, then bent down to pick up the fallen books. "Yeah. My bad."

He handed one back, noting the title. Something about ancient ley lines.

The elf studied him for a moment, then sighed. "New here?"

Ash simply replied, "yes. What about it?"

"Hmph." The elf took the book and walked off without another word.

'Such arrogance!'

Ash exhaled, shaking his head.

'That could've gone better.'

Still, he had the whole day ahead of him. And, for the first time, he had a direction.

A place to start.